Cadence
by Truenos
Summary: HBP Spoilers, Harry and Draco find themselves forced together by a manipulating government. The two are bound against their will and now must depend on eachother. Where will they go when both sides want them? W:Slash Mpreg
1. Chapter 1

Title: Cadence Author: Truenos Rating: M Summary: At the end of 6th year Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour, puts together a plan that will bind Harry and Draco together as well as force them to conceive a child. The couple are used as Ministry symbols in the fight against Voldemort. With their magic suppressed only each other to trust can the two escape from the Ministry's clutches and save their child as well as defeat Voldemort.  
Disclaimer: I own nothing 

Rufus Scrimgeour, dressed in midnight black robes, smiled coldly at the Ministry delegates seated at the table before him. He stood at the head of a long table, in one of the many Ministry Conference Rooms. This room was designed for some of the more important meetings, as it had silencing and forgetful charms that would affect any whom had no business in the room.

The old, mahogany table fit perfectly in the office space and went well with the beige carpet and two hanging plants. All twenty of the members watched him anxiously waiting to see just how all of their planning had come together. It had been one month exactly since the death of Hogwarts Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, and the new Minister of Magic could already see the affect of the man's missing influence. It was only because of Dumbledore's death that he had been able to put such an ingenious plan into action.

To the Ministers right sat Percy Weasley, the only member of his family to remain loyal to the Ministry of Magic. The boy had grown very little since his completion of Hogwarts. He still wore his horn rimmed glasses and was known through out the Ministry to be rather bookish. The only difference in him would be his clothes. No longer did the Weasley boy were the ratty hand me down robes that seemed to plague his family. Instead he wore new office robes with the Ministry insignia on the shoulder. It seemed money could still buy some wizards loyalty.

To his left sat his secretary Alynia Vance, an elderly witch whom had been employed at the Ministry for nearly forty years. She herself had attended Durmstrang and thus had never really known the 'Great Dumbledore'. After the death of her husband she devoted all of her time and energy to the Ministry. That was nearly 27 years ago.

There were also several Aurors present at the meeting, all ranked rather highly. Two had been stationed at Azkaban for a year and had since become Unspeakables. The others were from various branches. Their main similarity was their complete devotion the Ministry.

Towards the end of the table sat one of Rufus's good friends, Charles Ramesay, a central member of the Wizengamot. Immediately following Dumbledore's death, Scrimgeour, had wasted no time in shifting many of the older members of the Wizengamot out and placing newer and more trustworthy faces in. After all a Minister was only a strong as the system backing him.

Finally at the end of the table sat Alexander Bishop, a member of Wizard Child Welfare bureau. He had known the man for a few years prior to his becoming minister. Bishop was a hard working individual with a wife and two young sons. The young man had come from a once wealthy family that had lost all of it's fortune to the Malfoy family. It was because of this that a vendetta was formed and Bishop eagerly joined the groups planning as a way of getting revenge against the ancient, wealthy pure bloods.

One month ago their plans had seemed nearly impossible, but luck was on the groups side when Hogwarts Headmaster had passed away. With his passing, their largest blockade was gone. Now after all of their tireless work the plan had been set in motion.

"Mrs. Vance, I'm assuming that the Manor is ready to be moved into?" The minister's voice was rough and demanded the groups attention.

"It is Minister, I have seen to it myself that all the appropriate charms and wards are set in place. It is now unplottable and after this evening you will be the only person whom knows its actual location. The rest of us will only be able to locate the building and enter it with your permission." The elderly witch looked to Scrimgeour waiting for further questions but he seemed satisfied with her answer.

"And the magical inhibitors?" At this a burly Auror began to speak. 

"It took us some time to create the specialized inhibitors. The Malfoy boy will only need to wear a silver bracelet on his wand arm as he has never displayed any wandless magic that we should be aware of. As long as his wand is confiscated and he wears this bracelet then his magic should be effectively surpressed."

"And Potter?" A different Auror answered this question.

"He was much more difficult. Potter has been known to display wandless magic and is also a Parseltounge. The bracelet's would only dampen his magic but not inhibit it completely. Instead we made him a collar of sorts." With this, the blond haired woman took out a thin circle of silver. "With this on he will not only be unable to perform any magic but his parseltounge abilities should also be effectively cut off."

"And what of his Occlumency skill's?"

"Those two will be non-existent." 

Scrimgeour took a seat contemplating all of the information, looking for any loop holes that could thwart their plans.

"Bishop, where do we stand in custody of the two?"

"The Malfoy boy turned 17 months ago and as such his parents can make no claim on him, not that two accused death eaters could claim custody any way. Regardless, the boy fell for the set up easily. As soon as he heard his mother was being arrested he went to the Manor to warn her. We were waiting for him and he is now being held in temporary holding facility just seven floors beneath us." The Minister smiled at this.

"I expect him to be in my office, bracelet on, ready to be moved this evening." There were several affirmations to be heard.

"Now do we have custody of Potter?" One of the groups Unspeakables spoke up.

"Potter is only sixteen and won't be of age for another month. I went to the Dursley residence just yesterday and it seemed that his Uncle was unaware of the Potter fortune. As such he seemed quite eager to sign over complete custody to the Ministry for half of the allotted amount. The rest of the money left in the Potter vaults is being transferred to Ministry holdings."

"When can we expect to obtain the boy?"

"I supplied his Aunt with a mild sleeping potion that she will administer to his meal this evening. It should keep him asleep with at least twelve hours, plenty of time for us to retrieve him, place the inhibitor on, and move him into the manor."

"I assume Mortenson and Aglethorp will be retrieving him tonight then?"

"Yes sir," the two Aurors confirmed.

"Then the only thing we are waiting on is you, Donwold. Is the potion complete?" The man at the end of the table looked up. His blue eyes glittered despite the lack of light in the room. He smiled toothely, looking slightly deranged.

Augustus Donwold was a world renowned Potion's Master. He had attended an all male wizarding academy in South America where he had studied every aspect of potion making. He had declined teaching and had instead worked in a Ministry laboratory on potion developement.

"This potion is ready to be administered on the boy. He will need to take it every day for nine days. By the end of these days his body should be completely reformed and capable."

"Have we found an acceptable Mediwizard yet?" Mrs. Vance glanced around the table, looking for someone to answer her question. It was the only missing piece to the meticulous puzzle. They would need a trustworthy mediwizard that would not only remain loyal to their cause but also not develop any moral issues against the plan being hatched. 

The silence was proof enough that as of yet, no one had found a suitable candidate.

"We will be in need of one in only a month's time." She stated trying to convey the urgency to her fellow delegates.

"You needn't worry about that Mrs. Vance. We will find one in due time, so don't you worry yourself over the matter." Scrimgeour took a moment to once again look at each of the people before him. In a little over two months the group had conspired to not only kidnap two of the most well known teenagers in Europe but also bind them together against their will.

Scrimgeour would use the boys image as one of hope, for a peaceful tomorrow. The couple would be symbols of the ministry and raise support in the fight against Voldemort. The memory of Potter standing outside Percy Weasley's old home, denying his request of support made him smile. The boy would be more than just his poster boy now.

Once bound the two would be forced to conceive a child, one which Harry Potter would carry. Male pregnancies were considered dark magic and were outlawed in the early 1900's. This was because the carrier of the child would loose all of their magic once the child was born. As a result the child and other father would be twice as strong.

Draco Malfoy would be the one to cast the fatal blow against Voldemort. Him and his child that is. Harry Potter would be nothing more than a muggle and easy to dispose of. They would keep him locked away in an unplottable spot, away from the wizarding world, where he could cause little damage. His son would belong to the Ministry and Draco would be killed. No one would miss the child of a death eater, especially not in times of peace.

"Well then my friends, I believe this meeting is adjourned. I expect both boys to be in their new home by tomorrow morning." Hearing nothing to contradict his order the Minister of Magic stood from his seat at the table and began to gather the paper work in front of him. The others took this as a sign of dismissal and began to gather their own things as well and leave the room. 

Two Aurors made plans to meet later and then travel to Privet Drive. Another two began their decent through the Ministry building toward the Temp Holding Facility where a blond haired teen was sitting, unaware that his entire life had just been planned for him.

With the conference room now empty the Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour, gave himself a congratulatory smile. He was not a bumbling idiot like Fudge. Sacrifices had to be made in times of war, and the lives of two teenage boys didn't matter in the long run. With that thought Scrimgeour left the room ready to begin a new era in the wizarding world. 


	2. Along Came A Spider

Title: Cadence

Author: Truenos

Rating: M

Summary: At the end of 6th year Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour, puts together a plan that will bind Harry and Draco together as well as force them to conceive a child. The couple are used as Ministry symbols in the fight against Voldemort. With their magic suppressed only each other to trust can the two escape from the Ministry's clutches and save their child as well as defeat Voldemort.

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Chapter 2: Along Came a Spider

The temporary holding facilities located deep under the Ministry building were nothing to brag about. Each room had only one small bed that came with a mattress, pillow, and thin blanket, all of which were dirty and smelled rather unpleasant. A toilet was the only other fixture in the tiny room.

The floors were covered by dirty, cracked blue linoleum that had at one point probably gone with once upon a time white walls. Instead the walls were now more of a greyish green color and if one looked more closely flecks of red could be seen on occasion.

The young blond in cell number 203 did not look more closely at the walls. He did not sneer at the dirty floor or complain about the foul smelling bedding. Instead he sat quietly on his bed staring out past the bars that separated his cell from the hallway. The blond was cursing his stupidity for nearly the thousandth time since he was left in this cell three days prior. At least he assumed it was three days.

Draco Malfoy would not be sitting in this cell if he had just listened to the words of his Godfather. Severus had told him that he would find Narcissa and bring her to his home. Then she would be safe from the Ministry and any one else looking for blood. Severus had told him to never leave the shelter that was Spinner's End.

It was completely by accident that Draco overheard Peter Pettigrew and Severus talking about the Ministry planning on arresting his mother. It was revealed after Dumbledore's funeral that both he and Severus were major players in the monumental event. Needless to say they were now marked men, but Draco had never expected they would go for his mother instead of him. From the whispered conversation Draco gathered that Severus was unable to do anything for his mother because of a direct order from the Dark Lord himself.

It would seem that Voldemort was still quite displeased with Lucius and felt that his wife joining him in prison would be an appropriate punishment. Draco was not about to allow his mother to be punished because of his own mistakes and with his mind set he grabbed some floo powder from the mantle and traveled to one of the private Malfoy fireplaces.

The second he stepped into his ancestral home he felt the tip of a wand jammed painfully into his neck. That was the last thing he remembered before he woke up here in this cell. That was three days ago. Since then he had only seen the man who brought a plate of food three times a day. The gentleman was less than informative and even refused to give Draco food at lunch because of his 'infernal yammering'.

In all honest the man reminded him of Filch at a younger age. The blond was cut from his musing when he heard a door slam farther up the hallway. They had just received their lunch an hour ago so it couldn't be time for another meal. The steady clopping sound of shoes echoed along the hall drawing ever closer to his cell.

With out even realizing it, Draco held his breath as the people whom were traveling down the hall stopped directly in front of his cell. Carefully he released his breath and calmed his shaking hands. Despite everything that had happened, he was still a Malfoy and would hold his head up.

The two men that approached his cell were tall and built, dressed from head to toe in black Auror robes. They both wore identical sneers when they looked at him.

"It's a pity you aren't staying Malfoy, scum like you deserves Azkaban." Draco chose to ignore the remark.

"If I'm not staying here then were am I going?" Silver eyes watched the two men closely.

"That is none of your concern right now." One of the two men was unlocking the cell door while the other reached into his pocket to pull out a shiny, silver circle. The cell door was pulled open and the Auror holding the silver thing drew closer.

Draco slowly backed up wishing for all the world that he had his wand. Suddenly a rough hand grabbed him by the arm and yanked him roughly forward. The taller of the two men held his arms securely and prevented him from moving while the other pulled his left wrist forward.

"What the hell are you doing?" His question was met with a quick back hand to the face. Temporarily dazed Draco didn't feel them moving the bracelet until it was securely around his wrist. He watched in morbid fascination as the silver circle slowly shrunk to fit perfectly around his wrist. In that instant he felt like he lost a piece of himself.

It was no longer necessary for the Auror to hold the teenager and released his hold watching as the youngest Malfoy slowly slid down to the floor. The teen seemed to have trouble breathing for a moment.

"What did you do?"

"That bracelet is a magical inhibitor. As long as you have that on you are nothing more than a muggle." Draco Malfoy closed his eyes to avoid seeing the two men smirking down at him. He was in more trouble than he thought.

The Malfoy heir did nothing more than follow the two men out of the temp facility and toward the portkey that would take him to his next prison.

Harry Potter was sitting currently sitting on his bed organizing the notes he, Ron, and Hermione had compiled during their short stay at the Dursley household. His two best friends had left nearly a week ago to stay at the Granger's.

Hermione had wanted to see her parents since she had not seen them since Christmas. Harry knew that this might be the last time the brunette would see her family. Hermione, like Ron, had promised to aid Harry in his search for the Horcruxes. It was going to be a very difficult, if not deadly task and he didn't want Hermione to wish she had been given one last moment with her family.

The two had agreed to come back in two weeks time to retrieve Harry and then it was off to the Burrow for Bill and Fleur's wedding. Ron had tried to explain to Hermione and him, the finer points of a wizarding marriage. It seemed that the ceremonies were quite different from the muggle kind.

The couple did not exchange vows and there were no flower girls or groomsmen. Instead there was only a member of the Ministry, whom would lead the ceremony, and the couple being wed. The act of exchanging rings was the same as was the final kiss.

According to Ron, weddings in the wizarding world were known to attract large crowds depending on the couple. The wedding was announced in the Daily Prophet and any whom were interested in attending were more than welcome.

Harry couldn't quite fathom how the family could plan a decent reception without knowing how many people would really show up, but then again, it must be magic. He was pulled from his thoughts, by the annoying, nasal voice of his Aunt, calling him down for supper.

Rolling his eyes at the woman's tone he preceded to shuffle the papers littering his bed together before placing them carefully under his bed. With the pages of Horcrux research out of sight, the raven-haired teen stood slowly taking in his small bedroom.

The window was half open, as Hedwig had only left a few hours ago. She was heading off to Hogwarts, a letter for Hagrid was tied to one of her claws. The giant had never seemed more upset than after the death of Dumbledore. All Harry could do for his friend was continue to correspond with him and hope that the friendly words would help ease the pain both were feeling.

The old wardrobe that stood on the opposite wall was still as empty as the day Harry moved into the room, all those years ago. He had never acquired enough possessions to need the space and as such it had remained empty and collecting dust.

Again his Aunt's voice called to him and he had to force himself to remember that in only two weeks time he would be able to leave this house forever. He most definitely would never look back on this place.

Shuffling to the door, he twisted the rusty nob, listening to the squeaks of hinges in dire need of oil. He made his way down the stairs slowly, if only to annoy his adoptive family a little more. Once he got to the kitchen he was greeted by the site of all three of his living relatives.

Vernon was glaring at him while shoveling food into his mouth at an alarming rate. Yes, give it another year or two and the man would have a heart attack, of that Harry was sure. Dudley was staring blankly at the small TV that was placed a mere foot from his seat at the table.

Dudley, it seemed, was still in boxing, as he had managed to loose a little more weight. He was still a bloody whale and Harry tried to ignore his very existence. Then next to his cousin was his mother's sister.

Petunia Dursley had never once looked at her sisters son in any other way besides contempt. Harry knew he was only a burden to the woman and that would never change. He was reminded of how much she disliked him when he saw his own place at the table.

All three Dursley's were eating Minestrone soup and French bread. It seemed that the two garbage disposals in front of him and eaten a majority of the soup and all that was left for him was a bowl of broth with an occasional vegetable floating to the surface. There was also no next to his bowl. Harry would definitely not give this place a second thought once he was gone.

None of the Dursley's acknowledged his presence at the table, which was fine with him. He two began to eat his soup while contemplating how much money he should withdraw from his account before traveling to Godric's Hollow.

Just thinking about going to his parent's home sent a nervous thrill through his body. All his life he had been told he had Lilly's eyes and James' hair. To see where his long dead parents had lived with him made Harry smile. He was sure the house was perfect for the small family though now it was no more than rubble, or so he had been told.

A noise on the TV snapped Harry's thoughts back to the present and he had to blink his eyes in order to focus. It seemed to him though that the blinking had only made things worse. Slowly he raised his hand to remove his glasses and was surprised to find it shaking.

A bought of dizziness took him suddenly and he nearly tilted out of his seat. With the waves of dizziness came slivers of panic, which grew as he accidently knocked over his bowl of soup.

"Aunt Petunia, I..." Harry stopped as the world swayed. He felt some one pulling him away from his seat and he tried weakly to pull away. "Stop...Stop it!" His voice was growing more feeble and his eyes were drifting closed. His last conscious thought was someone was taking him upstairs.

A blond sat stiffly in a black lounge chair next to a window. The window was covered in thick, forest green curtains that did not open despite all of his earlier attempts. The blonde paid little attention to the tall bookcase in the room, nor did he venture around the house he was currently in.

Instead Draco sat in the chair waiting and watching. Directly across from him and only a few feet away was the newest arrival to Bauldelaire Manor. The silver-eyed teen had been informed of this upon his arrival. That fact mattered little to him now though. The unconscious boy on the bed next to him was no stranger.

Draco couldn't help but felt sick as he looked into the face of a sleeping Harry Potter, his rival. After the events that had transpired only a month prior, Draco believed it safe to consider Potter and himself beyond a schoolyard rivalry and now true enemies on opposite sides of a war. It was not however the Gryffindor's presence that made the Slytherin ill. Instead it was the presence of a silver circle similar to the one that encircled his own wrist. This circle however wrapped around the brunette's throat, resembling a collar. The men that had delivered the boy had not uttered a single word to the Malfoy heir. They were not the same as the ones that had brought him here, had placed Potter on the bed before exiting the room.

Now the Slytherin Prince waited. He could tell by Potter's movement that whatever Potion they had used on him was beginning to loose its affect. Until then he would sit here trying to figure out just what he had been drawn into.


	3. A Tangled Web

Chapter 3 Despite wishing to do nothing more than continue sleeping, Harry slowly opened his eyes. His stomach was in knots and his head was aching fiercely. He reached toward the desk by his bed to get his glasses. Instead of his hand meeting solid wood he found nothing but air.

He looked around, trying to make out the room he was in. The bed was to soft to be his own and yet he couldn't imagine a reason his Aunt or Uncle would put him in their bed. They would rather burn their bed than place their nephew in it.

The blanket he was under was a creamy white. The Dursley's didn't own anything this soft. Suddenly memories of dinner came flooding back to him. The last thing he remembered was the way the kitchen had tilted dangerously and the none to surprised looks on his relatives face. He sat up quickly despite the wave of dizziness that threaten to turn his stomach.

He could only make out bleary shapes around the room. He could make out the outline of furniture placed around the room as well as what he thought was two doors. Next to the door closest to the window was a person sitting in a chair.

It was impossible to identify the person across the room from him. He could hardly make out the figure, let alone identify any distinguishing features. Seeing the figure on the other side of the room made Harry feel distinctly uncomfortable. Unconsciously he pulled the covers up slightly and made an effort to control his nervousness. If he was in the company of death eaters then he would need a clear head.

"Finally up are you?" The drawl was distinctly familiar. "I suppose you are looking for these."

Harry could tell the figure was referring to his glasses by the glint off the glass in the light. Still he didn't dare answer.

"How does this sound, you tell me what the hell is going on and I'll give you these?" The figure rose from the chair and began to approach the bed. Harry was completely confused, why would he know what was going on when he had only just woken up.

"I...I don't...know..." He trailed off. The person was close enough to the bed now for Harry to recognize him. Now he wished that the person had stayed on the other side of the room or better yet he would have remained unconscious.

"Malfoy?"

"Surprise, surprise Potter. Now I think I asked you a question."

"How should I know what..." He was cut off by hands around his throat pushing him back into the bed.

"Wrong answer!" The hands tightened, cutting off his air. Harry struggled yet he was still weak from whatever he had been given to put him to sleep. Suddenly the hands around his throat left. Harry could already feel the places where his throat would be bruised.

"Such a worthless idiot..." Draco was muttering at him.

"Where are we?" Harry tried to steady his voice. Draco chose not to answer him. Harry sat up again, intending to get out of the bed. He stopped however when he realized just what he was wearing. 

Until now Harry had not payed particular attention to his own state but now that he was aware he fought to keep from blushing. The night shirt he wore was soft and silky ending at his mid thigh. The shoulders were open and one side was slipping down his arm.

He looked over to where the blonde was standing at the far end of the room.

"Malfoy, what..." He trailed off pulling the blanket closer to him. He was about to begin again when the door in front of him opened.

"Nice to see you are finally awake, Potter." Harry turned to see Rufus Scrimgeour walking calmly into the room. "Mr. Malfoy, if you would join us over here, I would be more than happy to explain what is going on."

Harry noticed that Draco seemed hesitant but the need for information was enough to get him moving. The blonde sat himself on a chair that Scrimgeour had conjured next to the bed. Harry watched the two warily. His head was aching rather fiercely the longer he was awake.

"As you two know we are in the middle of a war. The Ministry is ready to do whatever is necessary to bring an end to this conflict. This is where you two will be aiding us in our efforts."

"What the hell are you on about?" Draco looked surprised that Harry had said anything. With his headache increasing and his confusion growing Harry was not in the mood to play twenty questions.

"I tried to explain to you before Harry that the people need to see you supporting the Ministry."

"And I told you I wouldn't support hypocrites.".

"You are just a child who thinks himself more important than he is." Harry glared at the man. The only thing keeping him from leaving the bed was his rather revealing nightshirt.

"How are we supposed to help you? Especially with these!" Draco held his wrists and Harry was surprised to see gold bans. He raised his own arms but found them to be bare. "Try a little higher Potter."

Harry looked at the Slytherin in confusion. Draco rolled his eyes at him before grabbing Harry's hand and raising it to his neck. The Gryfindor was surprised to feel cold metal circling his neck.

"What's this?" Malfoy looked about to answer but Scrimgeour beat him to it.

"They are temporary inhibitors. We will remove them after the ceremony."

"What ceremony?"

"The wizarding world needs to see unity now. If they see unity then they too will unite and the Dark Lords forces will not seem as strong. With the people united behind the ministry, we can not loose."

Scrimgeour paused and Harry tried to understand what exactly the man was playing at. His stomach was now deciding to mimic his head. Both were aching fiercely and Harry was quickly loosing focus.

"What could be a stronger icon for unity than the bonding between a death eater and the Boy-Who-Lived. It will show that the ministry can control the evil beasts plaguing our society and that their savior has placed his faith in us."

"We won't do it!" Harry was surprised by the fierceness in Draco's voice. Nothing was making sense.

"I'm afraid you won't have a choice in the matter."

"The hell we won't. Potter, say something!" 

Harry knew they were saying something to him but at the moment it didn't matter. All he could focus on was the all consuming pain in his body.

"Mr. Potter won't be much help to you at the moment."

"What the hell is wrong with him?"

"He has been given a potion that is adjusting his body to the ministry's needs. I imagine he will be like this for another hour." Draco turned to the teen on the bed. Harry was sweating, his body twitching every now and then.

"Relax Draco, the bonding ceremony will be tomorrow morning. You and Harry will have all evening to get to know each other." 

Draco watched as the Minister of Magic left the room, the door disappearing as he did. Of all the situations he had imagined this was certainly not what he was expecting. He turned his gaze back on the boy lying on the bed. Harry was not looking good at . 

"Damn it!" Draco slammed his fist down on the night stand. They were so fucked. 


	4. To Bind

Chapter 4: To Bind

Draco refused to make eye contact with any one in the room. He continued to stand like a statue in front of the lectern studying the people seated and awaiting the start of the ceremony. The blonde had only been in this room once and that had been when he was ten. His second cousin, who's name he couldn't remember, had married some bloke from Durmstrang in this very same room.

There were only about forty people in attendance, which was vastly shadowed by the hundreds that had attended his cousins wedding. All of the people here now had the same look of cold boredom.

It amazed him that none of these adults seemed to have a problem with what was about to take place. In fact they made it seem like forcing two teenagers into a binding, magical wed lock, was an every day occurrence.

Despite all the minister had said the night before, Draco had refused to believe that grown men would believe that the solution to the current war was to have him bond to Potter. It was insanity, pure and simple.

Draco also tried to avoid looking straight across from him. Potter's usually vibrant green eyes were dull and glassy. The minister had only been partly right in statement regarding Harry's health. The Gryffindor had awoken in an hour but he was far from fine.

Draco had been forced to listen to him moan in pain through a vast majority of the night. He kept mumbling stuff about his insides being torn apart. It continued like this for hours, nearly driving the Slytherin mental. No one came to check on them and Draco was forced to calm Harry in the best way he could think of. He had pressed cold rags he had found in the adjoining bathroom, against Potter's flushed face murmuring words of meaningless encouragement which seemed to stem Harry's rambling.

He only comforted the boy because the moaning had been driving him slowly insane. It was easier to concentrate on the Gryffindor, than to think about the Bonding ceremony in his all to near future.

Morning had come and still Harry was in considerable pain. The minister's solution had been to force a couple potions down his throat leaving him in a drugged state. Draco tried hard to forget the tears that had ran down Harry's cheeks while auror's poured the foul liquids down his throat.

Now Harry stood in a semi-drugged state not all to aware of his surroundings. His green eyes would occasionally flicker around the room as if trying to process something and when it alluded him he would go back to staring at the ground.

"I believe everyone is here, so shall we proceed?" Scrimgeour's voice sounded harsh to Draco despite the unpleasant smile on his face. The magistrate that stood just in front of Draco and Harry nodded and the ceremony began.

Much like his cousins wedding, Draco didn't bother to listen to the magistrates words. The dread that had been filling him since his capture had finally reached its limit. This wasn't a joke or a prank as he had so desperately been praying it would be. His hands were shaking and he glared at the metal bands around his wrists. 

He felt the absence of his magic now more than ever.

"Mr. Malfoy, if you would take Mr. Potter's right hand." One look at the minister's deadly gaze had Draco delicately holding the Gryffindor's hand. Clouded emerald eyes met his own crystal gaze.

"Draco?" The voice was barely more than a whisper. Harry seemed to be gaining a bit more clarity. "What..." His voice drifted off when Draco gently squeezed his hand. The Malfoy heir could see apprehension in the emerald eyes.

Harry was his enemy, his arch rival. The boy had nearly killed him during the school year when Draco himself had tried to cast an unforgivable on him. Their history was rockier than the roads in Knockturn Alley. Despite all of this, they were still being bonded.

The blond couldn't decide which was worse, the fact that the bond would ensure they would be together for ever, or the fact that Harry really had no clue as to what was going on. When the drugs wore off, and they would, Harry would want answers and Draco didn't know if he could provide them. How could he answer someone else's questions when he himself felt so clueless.

"I pronounce you, by the order of the Ministry of Magic and Law of Merlin, bond." The witnesses all stood and Harry was given a push towards him forcing Draco to catch him around the waste to keep him from falling. The voices of the witnesses rang in his ears.

"Mind" "Body"  
"And Soul"  
After the ceremony Harry and Draco were taken to a room were they were given robes to change into. Scrimgeour informed Draco that 'their' reception was to begin in an hour and he had that time to prepare himself and his spouse before greeting guests.

The room was the typical brown paneling found in most of the ministry offices. Two robes were hung in the air. They were black with the ministry insignia on the left side. His own robe came with dress pants as well as a blazer.

Harry's were slightly different with intricate embroidery on the sleeves and hood. His pants were softer and he had a green button up shirt that would easily draw attention to his eyes.

"Malfoy, what is going on."

Draco turned to Harry almost surprised to hear him speaking so clearly. He had assumed the Gryffindor would have remained in his drugged state the rest of the evening.

"Look Potter, I don't have time to explain anything right now. I need you to change into these and not ask questions for the moment."

"Why do I have to change? Where are we?"

"Damn it Potter, I said don't ask fucking questions. Are you to stupid to comprehend?" Harry recoiled at Draco's shouting moving away from the blond. He pressed himself against the wall farthest from the Slytherin and glared for all he was worth.

Draco pulled the robe Harry was supposed to be wearing from the air where it was magically suspended and tossed it to the raven-haired boy. He then began changing his own outfit, trying desperately to ignore Harry.

"Look, Malfoy, for some reason I don't really know what's been going on and I'm not feeling so good." Draco watched as the teen across from him moved a hand to cover his stomach. It seemed that whatever had been done to him was still causing him a bit of pain. 

Harry, it seemed, had decided to follow his lead and change. Draco was surprised that the teen had actually stopped his line of questioning. If anything Draco had expected the Gryffindor to pitch a monstrous fit. It was then that he noticed just how bad Harry was shaking. The boy could hardly do up his robes.

Slowly the Draco approached him. Harry watched him warily, though Draco noticed his eyes seemed to loose focus every now and then. With a deep, calming breath, the Malfoy heir began to act as his pureblood training had taught him. He covered his own fear and confusion with a mask and began to do up Harry's buttons.

"Why can't a focus on anything?" The question was asked so hesitantly.

"I imagine it is because of all the potions that have been shoved down your throat the past two days."

"Is that why my body hurts so bad?"

"Probably." Grey eyes rose to meet emerald. "Potter, I know we aren't friends or anything but I ask that you trust me. I need you to trust me!" The desperation in his voice was not lost on the Gryffindor. 

"Are we going to die?" It seemed like such an absurd question but considering that it was Potter, and attempts at his life were probably ordinary to him, Draco chose not to snap back.

"We won't be dying today Potter. Now, I promise on all that I am that I will answer all of your questions as soon as I can. Until then I need you to go with the flow and avoid doing anything rash. Merlin knows you Gryffindors always seem to overreact in a panic."

At Harry's nod, Draco continued to do up the buttons. He paused at the last one which was right at Harry's throat. With the robe buttoned up all the way, the silver collar that was wrapped around the boys throat was hidden. The sound of the door opening had him jumping back from Harry, putting as much space as possible between them. 

"Ah, my boys, your guests await." And with that, the two were led to their reception. 


End file.
